I had the privilege of attending Sunday night's premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Disneyland, which saw not just the film's cast in attendance but also stars ranging from Steven Tyler to Andy Garcia and Martin Short along with press and hundreds of screaming fans hoping to get a look at (or even better an autograph from) Johnny Depp.

Rather than the usual red carpet, the premiere had a black carpet running nearly a 1/4 mile long through downtown Disney to the outside theater where the film was screened in 3D. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life to walk the black carpet with my girlfriend as hundreds of fans waved at us thinking we were someone else other than a couple of folks fortunate enough to be invited as guests of the studio.

After making our way down the carpet, we grabbed dinner at Cafe Orleans (complete with Pirates cookies) before taking some pics with the usual Disneyland suspects (including Chip & Dale, Jack Sparrow and Goofy, who my girlfriend playfully slugged after he tried to steal her churro). Just to make the night even cooler, Disneyland had closed to allow premiere attendees to enjoy certain rides and attractions without lines or waiting. We were able to go on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and into the Haunted Mansion before the outdoor 3D screening began (albeit a little over an hour later than scheduled).

The seats were assigned, but we lucked out in getting aisle seats along the side of the mid-section. Our seats were better than Kevin Sorbo's (who showed up in Pirates garb) and Taboo's (one of the most amusing but awkward moments of the pre-screening was when the Disneyland pop group playing for the waiting crowd broke into a Black Eyed Peas cover and all eyes in the crowd turned to Taboo).

The stars (Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Keith Richards, Sam Claflin, and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey), producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Rob Marshall then introduced the film to the crowd. Due to the studio's embargo, I can't tell you what I thought of the film (and, no, I won't be the one reviewing it), but I will say that Disney sure knows how to put on a helluva show: Just as the end credits rolled, fireworks were set off in the distance of the park. Check out some official photos from the premiere below.